


oh

by TheLanceShow



Series: Love hurts [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bittersweet, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Lance/Shiro (Voltron), Feelings, I Love You, Lance (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Long-Term Relationship(s), M/M, Relationship Issues, Sad and Happy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-03
Updated: 2018-12-03
Packaged: 2019-09-06 04:46:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16825426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLanceShow/pseuds/TheLanceShow
Summary: "I love you, baby."And that's--that wasn't the right thing to say.





	oh

**Author's Note:**

> Short lil thing I wrote bc why not??

"I love you, baby."

And God, if how quickly Lance tensed up after the declaration wasn't enough, the immediate silence was a dead giveaway. 

He hadn't even meant for it to slip out. It was softly spoken, fond as he usually is, as Lance was rambling about what ever classmate wouldn't leave him alone. His head is resting on his chest, right over his heart.

It just slipped out.

His heart is steadily beating faster and Shiro feels a slight tremble. He slowly detangles himself from Lance and sits up, never turning his gaze to his probably-soon-ex.

Shiro knows that Lance has commitment issues. He honestly thought Lance would be with him for a good time, not a long time. But they've been together for two years and neither of them had so much brought up the elephant in the room.

What made Lance stick around for so long?

"I," Shiro starts, then aborts the sentence. He runs a weary hand through his hair, biting back the string of curses he wants to let out. He was so happy, so _fucking_ happy, then his own dumb heart got in the way.

He feels and hears the sheets shifting. Then a clunk as Lance likely leans his back up against the headboard. Out of his peripheral, he sees Lance pull his legs up.

"Why?"

Shiro startles at the question but glares down at his lap. Does he need a reason why?

Yes, he does. Lance deserves as much. The amount of times Lance has been told the three words without an explanation has been too many. Because those same people left him for others or without a reason.

Lance had once told Shiro, six months into their relationship, he doesn't know if he'll ever fall in love again. Shiro was okay with it at the time. Not so much anymore.

The signs were there, all right? In Lance's own ways, with the grand gestures and dopey looks and, and-

How he'll burst into tears at night, always saying he's scared and never explaining why, always pushing Shiro away when he tries to hold him.

But Shiro is drawing up a blank, and it's eating him up inside. The back of his eyes burn with the promise of tears.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Why would you?"

Shieo turns his head to look back at Lance in the evening sunlight. His arms are wrapped around his legs and his cheek is resting on his knees as he stares at Shiro. It's a pose Shiro is familiar with, the one Lance takes whenever he's unsure about something.

The light highlights his curly hair, the planes of his arms and legs. The wrinkles in his shirt, the subtle tremor travelling through his body. A stray beam shines on Shiro's prosthetic and it bounces to show one of Lance's eyes. It's despondent, as is the rest of his dimly lit face is.

Lance shifts, parts his lips as if he's about to say something, about to kick Shiro out, about to tell him to _never come back again--_

"You're passionate and truthful and so, _so_ full of hopes and dreams that you feel in every ache of your bones. You're gentle with me, with those you care about. Incredibly charismatic and charming." Shiro takes a deep breath and makes eye contact with Lance. It feels shallow, superficial, but love can't simply be put into tangible words. It's the tingling Shiro gets in his chest, the harder beats of his heart, the rush of euphoria when he gets an unexpected call or visit from Lance. From hearing his name, seeing him, touching him. "I love you."

"Get out," Lance whispers softly. His voice is thick with an emotion that Shiro can't quite name. "Now, Takashi."

Shiro holds his gaze for five seconds longer and realizes that Lance's eyes are glistening. He looks away quickly and shuffles out of the bed. He stumbles to the bathroom instead of exiting the room itself. Once inside, he closes the door and braces himself on his palms atop the sink.

He lets the first tear fall.

Then the rest.

Silent sobs shake his body and he gasps trying to get them under control. When he looks up into the mirror, he's reminded of what Lance says when he sees Shiro is crying.

_"Your eyes are like mercury, and as pretty a silver they are, I prefer solid iron."_

The memories make him cry harder.

He's only vaguely aware that the door is opening and someone is tugging on his wrist. 

"Don't throw me away," he hears himself choke out. In response, all he gets is a hushing sound and Lance's fingers carding through his hair.

Lance lays them down, positions on their sides facing each other. He pulls Shiro close to him, entangling their legs and putting his bicep under Shiro's head, lightly resting his face in his chest. His other hand caresses his cheekbone. Shiro clutches his shirt in his hands, praying that this isn't the last time he'll ever hold him.

It takes a bit, but he eventually calms down. Lance is still mildly tense, but much less than he was before. He's pushed back Shiro's forelock in favor of pressing his lips to his forehead.

"The last guy that said he loved me," Lance murmurs, "immediately left. He cried, too. He gave me reasons, too. But I didn't love him, so I didn't go after him. I didn't love him, so I didn't pull him back to me."

Shiro's breath hitches.

" _Anyway_ , then he just kind of raised his hand, like, right after I did. And it's just like, dude. Come _on_. I know my shit, okay? Professor Zarkon already doesn't pick on me because he doesn't like me. Hop off my dick, ya know?"

"I... I don't have to leave?"

There's a short pause.

"I pulled you back to me, didn't I?"

A longer pause as Shiro's eyes begin to water again.

"Oh."

**Author's Note:**

> Okay but like. Comment. That's a pretty cool thing to do. Feed the author.


End file.
